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Ersterhernds iMac G5 (iSight 17) Project

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I wish I'd seen that post before I set to work on the fans, Kiwi. Its perfect.


Just going to leave them at 3.3V for now and see how the temps work out when its all buttoned up.



Cheers!
 
A couple of additions made to the intial hardware list --

1. NZXT USB Hub for more USB connectivity
2. Apple IR Receiver
3. Apple iSight Camera functionality

To get the iSight Camera working, I simply removed the attached cable which revealed four short USB wires (red/white/green/black) soldered to the Camera board. I soldered up a USB extension cable to the four wires and tested it on one of my iMac G4 builds where no camera exists. It worked perfectly.


Testing the G5 iSight Camera plugged into my 17" iMac G4 USB.
The little green LED comes on and the Microphone works good, too.

t3kn.jpg




I ordered an NZXT hub to accomodate the IR Receiver and iSight Camera. There should be plenty of room for it inside the iMac G5. It opens up the possibility for other peripherals too, if I decide to add any internally.


Ersterhernd
 
MacTester57 said:
WOW! It's just unbelievable, how fast you tackle one project after the other!

Good luck!

MacTester
Click to expand...


Thx MacTester! We've had a bit of break at my workplace this winter due to a colder stretch of weather, so its been a great opportunity to get some modding done before things ramp up again.

This iMac won't be as fancy as Kiwi's is shaping up to be, but I think it'll still be really sweet to have in the collection running Mavericks. I just didn't have the heart to throw this old G5 out after it gave up working, it's still in such beautiful condition.

So far, it is turning out to be a lot of fun, too.


Cheers!
 
Build Log 7 -- PicoPSU Installation

This build is using two internal power supplies, the NUC 65W power brick will provide AC/DC conversion to supply 19V to both the Intel NUC DC2117BY and the the PicoPSU WI-25-120 power supply. One of the challenges of this project is that there's only a little over an inch of depth to work with (center of the iMac) and even less toward the edges. The NUC power brick fit great because it's quite small, but the PicoPSU needed room not only for itself, but for the many wires that'd be plugged into it.

I decided to house it directly beside the NUC shell, and it is recessed deep enough in a sideways-mounted orientation that there's lots of room for wiring. I even taped a pinout diagram to the interior of the iMac for reference.


IMG_4827.JPG



I was careful to shield any metal contact points with electrical tape to avoid possibility of a short between the PicoPSU and the iMac frame.


Ersterhernd
 
Build Log 8 -- Internal Audio & Microphone

Utilizing a StarTech USB audio device, a PAM8403 5V amplifier and the iMac built-in speakers, I achieved an complete and fully functional solution for internal audio. I have tested the input and output, and it works terrific. The sound is actually pretty good from such a tiny amp, certainly good enough for it's intended use.



The StarTech ICUSBAUDIO and PAM8403 amplifier tucked in just below the PicoPSU

IMG_4841.JPG




Ersterhernd
 
Build Log 9 -- Apple IR Receiver

As this machine will be in the kitchen/family room area of our home, it will be used to play music via our Airport Express to our stereo. I wanted to have IR control for music, so I picked up a cheap Apple IR reciever off eBay. It wires up straight into USB no problem.

Apple originally put the IR receiver directly behind the gray Apple logo on the lower portion of the iMac face. The gray plastic is more 'see through' than the surrounding white plastic case, to allow the IR to function better. I decided if this location was good enough for Apple, it's certainly good enough for me. As it worked out, the IR receiver mounted beautifully on my LED control board. The little black 'eye' of the IR is directly behind the gray Apple logo when the face of the iMac is installed.


IMG_4836.JPG




(The A1181 bluetooth antenna will be affixed in the empty space on the LED control board, also directly behind the gray Apple, so bluetooth reception should be strong).


Ersterhernd
 
Didn't the iSight G5 have an IR receiver built in? Or was it an undetachable part of the logic board?
 
moonhack said:
Didn't the iSight G5 have an IR receiver built in? Or was it an undetachable part of the logic board?
Click to expand...


Hi moonhack, it had one, but there was no way of connecting to it, as there wasn't a wired connector plug. It was easier just to get the version that I knew would work (and have used successfully before).


Cheers!
 
Progress Update...

I've had some time this weekend to work on this iMac, so got quite a bit done.


Working or Wired up:

Audio and Mic, Rear USB ports, AC power to 19V, PicoPSU, Apple IR, Bluetooth (wired but waiting for A1181 module), iSight Camera, iMac LED (Pulse during sleep), Reset Switch, Rear Power button, two case fans, inverter.


Still Waiting for:

NZXT USB hub, Intel NUC DC3217BY, LCD brightness slider, iMac G4 17" neck wires.


Still to do :

DVI to TMDS conversion wiring, LCD brightness adjust installation, NZXT hub install, NUC install, OSX install.



A quick diagram of the progress to date...

tjrp.jpg




The good news is, with everything installed so far, the LCD still fits on easily.

IMG_4829.JPG




Its coming along nicely, happy with the progress so far. These G5's are actually very nice machines to mod, I was quite surprised as I got into this project. Hoping for good things from this build.

Ersterhernd
 
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